This week Temple University and the Office of Leadership Development presents Leadership Week, a week dedicated to highlighting the students who are honing their leadership skills while earning their degrees.
The Diamond Leaders program, led by Program Director Lauren Bullock, meets every Tuesday at 4 p.m. for students to discuss ways to grow, learn and lead with integrity while using these talents to empower their fellow students and community.
“…The program was started in the Fall of 2009.The first thing I would like [the students] to gain is simply our mission: we want them to learn to live and lead with integrity and meaning. Secondary to that is, we want them to be able to effectively communicate their leadership style and feel comfortable with the skills that they have in different leadership situations,” said Program Director, Lauren Bullock.
To be eligible to participate in the Diamond Leaders Program, students must complete the program’s Leadership Challenge. To succeed, students must attend leadership workshops led by other leadership-centric campus groups and receive points. Once they have accrued 50 points, they are then able to apply to the Diamond Leaders Program.
“It was actually really easy. I didn’t know I was accruing a lot of these points, I was going to leadership workshops out of curiosity so I got to 50 without even knowing it,” said junior Management and Information Systems Major, Jeremy Boco.
Once admitted to the Diamond Leaders Program, students immediately begin participating in the process required to become more effective leaders.
“It definitely helps me as an individual, which helps me get more involved in Temple’s community. [The program] helps you with your public speaking skills, they help you with your team-building skills, they help you with your leadership skills, they help you with your self-esteem skills,” said sophomore Biology major, Ashanti Littlejohn.
Boco echoes Littlejohn’s sentiments when he states that he got involved for two reasons, “First [reason] was to really grow myself as a leader and take it to the next level and learn a lot more about myself and my leadership style. The second was to really give back to the community.”
Students have said that the program helps refine one’s leadership skills, even if one is uncertain of whether or not they have leadership qualities. Regardless, students have discovered that the process of becoming a successful leader is integral to future life.
“I would tell other Temple students to definitely…get involved with the leadership program….It teaches you what your leaderships style is, what your weaknesses are, what your strengths are. It’s a great learning experience,” said junior Secondary Education major, Latasha Norfleet.
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